Kathie: Hi Mónica! Thanks for taking time today to talk with me about your upcoming middle-grade debut novel, Sing It LIke Celia, which comes out April 2nd from Penguin Random House. I thoroughly enjoyed reading an early copy, and I look forward to learning more about it. Can you give us a brief synopsis of it, please?
Mónica: Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me, Kathie! Sing it Like Celia is about a twelve-year-old girl named Salvadora Sanchez (Salva for short) whose life is turned upside down one day when her mother disappears without explanation. She winds up living with her long-absent investigative journalist father in a camper van while he travels to a campground in Northern California to work on a story about a woman who has been separated from her own children and is facing deportation. While navigating the emotional uncertainties of her new circumstances and unraveling the mystery of her mother’s disappearance, Salva befriends a group of local kids and is coaxed into lending her amazing vocal talents and love of salsa music to their band. The shake-up that ensues leads to drama amongst the band, but ultimately helps Salva to find her voice (both literally and figurately) as she fights for what she believes in and learns to stand up for herself and others.
Kathie: I know your childhood inspired this book, and I’d love to hear about your journey from the initial idea to the finished product.
Mónica: The initial inspiration for this book grew from a conversation with my editor, during which she asked about my years gone by as an avid salsa dancer and wondered whether this could be a good subject for a middle grade book. We talked about my earliest exposure to salsa music – the time I saw Celia Cruz perform at an outdoor concert when I was 13 – and this led me to dig a little deeper about what salsa, and music in general, meant to me during my childhood. There was a lot of instability during my childhood, beginning with the divorce of my parents when I was four, but music was a constant – a way for me to find solace and a sense of self-expression. I also found kindred spirits in the other kids who, like me, found strength in the performing arts. I began thinking about the many ways in which children find themselves coping with the loss of a parent – divorce, family discord, incarceration (another topic close to home), and deportation. I really wanted to give voice to the struggles these children go through, while also giving them a sense of hope and empowerment.
Kathie: Words that immediately come to mind to describe Salva are music-loving and passionate. What are two more words you’d use to describe her, and how is she similar and different from you?
Mónica: I would agree that Salva is music-loving and passionate. I would also describe her as empathetic and resilient. I think it’s almost impossible not to put some of yourself into the characters you write, and Salva is definitely a testament to that. Salva and I both struggle with anxiety, we both come from broken homes where we were expected to take on the role of emotional caretaker, we both sing and love salsa music, we’re both keenly aware of the suffering of others and compelled to want to help them, we both struggle with stage fright, we both spent time traveling with our fathers in a camper van as children. The only measurable difference between me and Salva is that my mother didn’t disappear the way her mother does in the story. That part of the story was inspired by the experience of someone very close to me.
Kathie: I loved Betty, the owner of the Lonely Pines Campground where Salva and her dad stayed, and that Salva found a community that embraced her and helped her grow. Do you have a supporting character you most enjoyed writing?
Mónica: I definitely enjoyed writing Betty, who is just that sweet nurturing grandma type you just can’t help but want to hug. I also enjoyed writing Maj and exploring a little bit of her cultural background and personality, which is so different from Salva’s and my own.
Kathie: The book addresses some big topics, such as mental health, incarceration, and the treatment of undocumented individuals in the United States. What’s one thing you hope young readers will take away from this story?
Mónica: If there had to be one take away, I would want it to be that we’re all struggling with something. We don’t always talk about what’s going on under the surface. What’s important is that we reach for empathy in all situations, that we are kind to ourselves and others, and that we aren’t afraid to speak out when our voice is being silenced. And if all of that feels a little too hard in the present moment, I hope that young readers will at least see themselves in the characters in this story and know that they are not alone in whatever they might be going through.
Kathie: Music is an important part of this story. Do you like to sing, and what role does music play in your life?
Mónica: Music has always been a big part of my life. I began playing the piano when I was six-years-old and started singing in choirs a couple of years later. I went to a school of performing arts from seventh to twelfth grade and turned my focus to songwriting in college. After I graduated, I moved to Los Angeles to be a recording artist and now teach piano to children in the few hours a day when I’m not writing.
Kathie: What’s one question you’d love to be asked about your book, and how would you answer it?
Mónica: I would love for people to ask about the best ways to support the book. And the answer to that would be to buy it from an indie book seller near you and, if you can afford it, buy additional copies to donate to a Title I school in your city; review the book online, share it within your community, and request it at your local library.
Kathie: Where can we go to learn more about you and your writing?
Mónica: You can learn more about me and my writing at https://www.monicamancillas.com.
Kathie: Thanks again for joining me today, and I wish you much success in your publishing journey.
Mónica Mancillas based her debut middle-grade novel on her own childhood experiences and those of her beloved sister, who shares her love of music and will someday take the world by storm. Mónica received her BA in Anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley before pursuing a decade-long career in the recording industry. She currently teaches piano in Burbank, California, where she resides with her husband and daughter. Her previous work includes Mariana and Her Familia, The Worry Balloon, and How to Speak in Spanglish. Find out more about Mónica at www.monicamancillas.com.
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